Iterate Weekly - Issue 174
This week we continue our summer trip down memory lane and jump into the time machine to see what was going on at this time 3 years ago!
Welcome to issue 174 of Iterate Weekly!
This week we have another special summer throwback edition as I wrap up a busy week. As I’m off spending some time with visiting family, I’ve dug up this issue from July 2021.
It’s hard to believe that I’ve been writing this across the span of two Olympic games. It seems like just yesterday I was talking about watching the Tokyo games and now the Paris games are here.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy revisiting these stories and I’ll be back with some fresh content next week!
Tech
Do you have your passport for the internet?
The company formerly known as Fortmatic has rebranded as Magic. Yeah, I liked the first name better too. But this is some exciting news for the world of cybersecurity. Magic is on a quest to create a new way for people to confirm their identities without having to remember tedious passwords.
According to their numbers, over 6,500 developers have signed up to use their authentification services for their apps. As they’ve just secured a new round of $27Million Series A funding, they are looking to grow quickly to make sure we never have to waste time typing in passwords again. As they grow, they’re looking to become “a passport for the internet”
In the meantime, if you are still typing in passwords, you should be using a password manager. I’ve written about how a password manager is on my list of top productivity apps. These days, I’ve been very happy using BitWarden, but NordPass, and LastPass are great as well. Whether you’re using a password manager or something new and fancy like Magic, be safe out there on the internet!
Learning
Uncommon sense teaching
I’ve long been a fan of the “Learning How to Learn” newsletter. It comes from the amazingly talented Barbara Oakley Ph.D. with some guest appearances from friends and colleagues of hers. Whether you’re a teacher, a parent, or just a lifelong student yourself, you’ll benefit from Barbara’s advice.
Barbara is launching a new free course on Coursera that’s called “Uncommon Sense Teaching”. As someone who has worked in the EdTech space, I’m a huge fan of MOOCs (Massively Open Online Courses). Check out the video below that acts as a trailer/promo for Barbara’s class. I have signed up myself and I’m sure you’ll glean some nuggets of wisdom if you signup for yourself.
Health
How long can we really live?
An interesting read from the Elemental Medium publication (it’s one of my favorites) this week.
How long can humans really live? Is there a ceiling to our longevity? Will advancements in medical technology and health research keep us going well past a century? It’s a fascinating question without a clear solution.
The article is jam-packed with useful stats about human aging. But what stood out to me is that our mortality rates due plateau after a certain age.
“Death rates, which increase exponentially up to about age 80, do decelerate thereafter and reach or closely approach a plateau after age 105,” scientists reported in a 2018 paper that re-ignited the long-running debate over the possibility of immortality.
Unfortunately, no amount of healthy habits will keep death away. It’s still a certainty. But there are ways to delay death as our medical research continues to accelerate. People living to 150 or even 200 years is unlikely within the next generation but not entirely out of the question.
However, the article does end with the next logical question. Would you even want to live that long? At that point would it be just a number? The quality of your years should still be more important than the quantity.
Grab Bag
Literally talking about grabbing bags here
This is fun. For the first time ever in the grab bag section…I’m actually talking about bags!
Not just any bags, but high-quality bags from the Seattle-based company Tom Bihn. They’ve been making amazing products since 1972. If you’re not familiar with the brand, they’ve made my go-to backpacks, duffel bags, and nearly all other forms of mobile storage for the last decade-plus. Their Aeronaut bag has been my travel companion all around the world since 2012 and it still looks brand new. I use it at every chance I get.
Why do I bring them up now? Well, they just relaunched an updated version of their website that looks fantastic. They have a few new products launching that will be worth your attention. But maybe most importantly, they’re just a fantastic example of a company that listens to its customers and have an unmatched level of transparency when it comes to pricing, materials, labor costs, etc.
They recently posted a well-written piece on their blog that’s all about feedback. This looks like the first in a series of “thoughts on…” articles that I am excited to read. It’s a bit long-winded but that’s what makes it so amazing. They put such painstaking detail into their products, that it’s only fitting they do the same for their blog posts.
Keep up the amazing work Tom Bihn!
Quote of the Week
“Setting your intention is like drawing an arrow from the quiver of your heart” - Bruce Black
Content Recommendation
The Olympics/The White Lotus
I’m giving you two different options this week for the content recommendations. I’ve been enjoying them both immensely for different reasons.
If you’re a sports fan, or if you have some patriotism, you’re probably already watching the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. I’ll ignore some of the politics behind the games or whether or not they should be happening or if they should have at least updated the name and logo to the correct year. Regardless, the Olympics are still pretty incredible. There aren’t many other things that unite the whole world anymore. Let’s take two weeks to put aside all the nonsense and just appreciate the wonder of sports.
If you’re not into sports or you just want to sit out the Olympics this year, I totally understand. HBO has an amazing new show that’s waiting for you to check out. It’s called “The White Lotus”. Watching it is like taking a vacation to Hawaii (it takes place at a resort there). It has a star-studded cast (or at least they’re recognizable faces if not huge stars) and it manages to be a comedy, a drama, a mystery, and a thriller all at once. After one episode, you’ll be hooked.
Thanks for reading, I’ll see you next week!
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